Rail-joint.



A. F. SMITH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1914.

1,1 34,237, Patented Apr. 6,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

Ui/h wwe/a A. F. SMITH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.18. 1914.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ARTHUR F. SMITH, OF ZEBRA, MISSOURI.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed March 18, 1914... Serial No. 825,489.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Zebra, in the county of Camden and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in rail joints,especially in interlocking rail joints formed by means of a longitudinalsplice, and has for its principal object to provide means ofexpeditiously forming rail joints in the field.

A further object of this invention is to providevmeans of laterallystiffening rail joints, thereby attaining the effect of continuity ofrail section for preserving the rigidity of parallel relation of rails.

Another object of this invention is to provide means of ,securing railjoints to cross ties. struction formed of splice plates and a pluralityof bolts, it is. not an infrequency that due to the dynamic eflect ofheavy engines, the bolts of said joints work loose unobserved, therebyimpairing the efiiciency and durability of the joint, putting intoimminent peril of derailment trains moving at high rates of speed andthereby jeopardizing the lives of many. This is one of the casualtiessought to be obviated by means of this novel interlocking rail joint andtherefore one of the principal objects of this invention.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter. more fully described and claimed For a completeunderstanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the rail joint showing parts broken away toclearly illustrate hidden details, Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional viewtaken on line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the jointbed,

.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end of one of the interlockingrails, and Fig. 5 is a In rail joints of the usual conperspective rail.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numerals l and2 designate as entireties, rails of the usual construction having formedat their terminals the enlarged portions 3 and 4 which shall hereinafterbe more fully described.

The numeral 5 designates generally the joint bed comprising a bed plate6 having formed integral with its lateral extremities the longitudinallyextending, upstanding flanges 7 which are cut away near their ends as at7. The bed plate 6 is preferably provided with the chamfered edge 8extending longitudinally throughout its entire length. The groove 9 isformed intermediate the raised portion 10 on the flanges 7, and the bedplate 6, as will be clearly seen upon referring to Fig. 3.

A rail brace designated generally by the numeral 11 is formed of thebody portion 11 having the flanges 12 formed integral therewith. Formedintegral with the flanges 12 is provided the outwardly projectingportion 13 which is adapted to fit beneath the bed plate 6 and saidprojecting portion is provided with apertures which are arranged toreceive the usual spikes or bolts for holding the rail in place. Ashoulder 14 and groove 15 extend across the body portion 11 and areadapted to fit snugly over the flanges 7 and longitudinal chamfered'edge 8 respectively of the bed 5. The face 16 is slightly inclinedinwardly and is adapted to fit flush against View of the end of theother the head of the rail to form a brace therefor. The enlargedportion 3 of the rail 1 as illustrated in Fig. 4, is formed integralwith the lower flanges of the rail 1 and the shoulders 16' are adaptedto engage the grooves 9 of the bed 5. The shoulders 16 with inclinedsides 17 form grooves which are interrupted at the terminal ofthe'enlarged portion 3 by lugs 18 which are formed integral with saidrail and adapted to form stops to hold the rail 1 in its proper positionin the bed 5. A V-shaped groove 19 is formed in the top of the enlargedend 3 and is arranged to receive the enlarged portion of the coeperatingrail. The flat surfaces 20 are formed at the sides of the groove 19 andextend in a longitudinal direction to form the shoulders 21. TheV-shaped groove and shoulders form a suitable splice with which theenlarged portion 4: of the rail 2 is adapted to snugly interlock. Areduced cylindrical extension 22 is formed at the end of the enlargedportion 3 and is arranged to enter the recess 25 formed in the enlargedportion 4 of the abutting rail. The reduced cylindrical portion 24:which is formed integral with the enlarged portion of the abutting railis adapted to enter the recess 23 of the rail 2 and securely hold therails in their proper position.

Formed coincident with the head of the rail 2 is the enlarged portion 4:having its lateral surfaces inclined outwardly from its head. Saidoutwardly inclined surfaces terminate at the points 28 and 29, and thewalls of the enlarged portion are inclined inwardly from said points 28'and 29 to form the tongue 30, which is adapted to slide in the groove 19of the rail 1. A shoulder 31 is formed on the exterior surface of thelower enlarged portion of the rail 2, and is adapted to fit under theshoulder 14 of the rail brace.

It will be evident from the foregoing that in use the bed 5 is placed inits proper relation with the rail brace 11 bringing the flanges 7 andportions 14 snugly under the shoulder 14: and into groove 15, and thewhole is then secured to cross ties by means of spikes extending throughthe apertures in the extension 13 and passing into the ties. The rail 1is then slid into the grooves 9 of the bed 5 until the lugs 18 arebrought into contact .with the projecting shoulder 10 of said bed. Theenlarged upper terminal of the rail 2 is then placed into the groove 19of the. rail 1 and is slid longitudinally until the ends are broughtinto contact with each other, thereby completing the requiredinterlocking joint of this invention and assuming the relation of partsas shown in Vhile in the foregoing there has been shown and describedthe preferred embodi ment of this invention, it is to be understood thatsuch changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of partsaswill fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: p

' The combinationwith the abutting ends of a pair of rails, enlargementsformed on inclined, a joint-chair arranged to surround the enlargement,inwardly extending projections formed onthe joint-chair and arranged tolie in the spaces formed by the inclined walls of the first namedenlargement, of a rail brace, said rail brace belng arranged to underliethe joint chair and also arranged to engage the extension on the secondmentioned rail to revent twisting.

In testimony whereo I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR F. SMITH. Witnesses H. A. HENDERSON, JOHN D. Smrn.

